Shadow and Light: A New Sith one shot
by dominicgrim
Summary: In A New Sith, a young Padawan found himself connected to a girl born inside the Sith Empire, this is his story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: For the fans of my A New Sith story, this one shot introduces a young Jedi to this world, a Jedi that will have a great effect on my little Sith in the chapters to come. For you, dear readers, enjoy!**

**DG**

**Shadow and Light: A New Sith One Shot**

_There is no emotion, there is peace._

_There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

_There is no passion, there is Serenity._

_There is no chaos, there is harmony._

_There is no death, there is only the Force._

He repeated the Jedi code as he meditated under a tree in the newly restored training grounds. They had arrived early this morning, working through the bulk of the day. He and his fellow students had worked hard to see this land restored to its former glory. He had chosen to remain behind when the others had left. As one of the few Padawans who had been off world, he had enough clout with the younger students that no one questioned his decision.

It was not enough to simply help rebuilding this place; he wanted a chance to explore it for himself, to truly _**explore**_ it.

So he had sat and cleared his mind. As he found peace, he found himself floating on a vast ocean of light. Its touch was warm, connecting him not just to this place, but to everything around it, maybe everything in the universe.

So easy he thought, so quickly had he made his connection. Was it him, he wondered, or the power of this place, perhaps the Force was reaching out, offering him its bounty for aiding in the restoration of what had fallen apart over the millennia.

It had been challenging work, challenging but _enlightening._ After so many centuries, the Force was _**still **_strong here, very strong.

_This is what we needed,_ he thought, _a place to grow, to __**heal;**__ it is safe to say that we could never have found such a place on Coruscant._

After the fall of the temple, they needed more than simply a place meet. The attack, the deaths caused by the Sith, they remained an open wound to many who had survived those events.

It was said that time healed all wounds, but for the Jedi, especially those that survived the massacre, the wound remained open, festering.

Time had done little to heal it.

In the greater scheme of things, five years was not that long of time, not when measured against the rest of the galaxy. It was long enough however for scared angry children to become vengeful young adults. Many young Padawans had come of age since the loss of the temple, and many still harbored anger in their hearts, despite the Jedi teachings.

He was not immune to such feelings; thanks to his master he had come to realize that early now. He had spent the last few years working through those feelings, finding his center again, and his sense of Jedi calm.

It had not been easy, so he could only guess how hard it was for his fellows.

As hard as it was, those emotions had to be faced. The Order did not need an entire generation of its members dedicated to revenge against the Sith Empire.

It was that outcome that the council needed to prevent, and in returning to the place where it all began, to Tython, they had taken the first logical step.

It was here that the Jedi Order had first begun; it was on these very grounds where the fledging order had taken its first step to become the guardians of the peace.

He remembered when he had first set foot here, the Force was very strong here, and whispers of the order's past could almost be heard on the winds.

It was for that reason that he had volunteered to help his fellows restore these training grounds. Tython was still mostly a wilderness, and still quite perilous. The natives, the creatures that had been dubbed flesh raiders, were only one of the problems the recovering order had to face.

_We can do it, if we remain strong and trust in the Force._

_We will restore both this place, and the order._

The Jedi did what they could; they restored the temple here, and went about the business of reclaiming the grounds that had once been there. Training grounds, such as these, were where the very first Jedi had trained several millennia ago.

It was an astounding thought.

It was hard to believe that this place was thousands of years old, that it had likely first been used during the earliest days of the Jedi Order.

The young man smiled.

…and now…it was being used again.

Hopefully, the current order would have the good fortune of their forebears; hopefully this would be new beginning for them.

If the Force was truly with them, then it would be.

As he floated in the sea of light, he reached out with his senses, stretching out with his feelings. He knew that some masters felt that only by completely denying their emotions or controlling them utterly was the only way to truly do their duty.

He did not share those feelings, and neither did his master.

"Serenity is not the absence of emotion," his master had told him once, "Peace cannot be achieved by denying who you are. Fear, anger, even hate, they are not so easily dismissed."

"Then how do I do it, master?" he had asked, "How do I find my center? How do I go where I need to be?"

His master smiled gamely.

"You learn to work through your emotions **not** give into them. Can someone be truly brave if they have never known fear? You must act in spite of fear. Can you know compassion if you have never seen cruelty? You must oppose it, without giving in and becoming cruel yourself. How can you guard yourself against something you do not understand?"

The Padawan had chuckled.

"I'm not sure Master Satele would agree, master."

"You're probably right, my young Padawan," he agreed, "Fortunately for us, Satele Shan is not here."

He had laughed, but at the same time, he felt a little guilty.

Master Satele was the leader of the Jedi Council.

Her wisdom should not have been so easily dismissed.

For the moment he pushed all thoughts of the masters and their teachings out of his mind. He allowed himself to simply float along with the ebb and flow of the Force. As he drifted deeper into its currents, he let his mind wander. His breathing became more even, it was not sleep, not really, but it was close.

It was from here that he could sometimes touch the world of dreams.

It was here that he had gone many times. It was here that he had made a friend long ago.

He smiled slightly.

It had been too long, he was eager to see her again.

He had known her for years. When he was at peace, as he was now, he often found himself back in the Jedi Temple, back in the room of a thousand fountains.

That room was gone now, destroyed in the Sith attack. All that remained now were ruins. Yet for the briefest of moments, in his dreams, they existed again.

He and his friend had played many a game there over the years, and for a time they had been happy.

He missed those days. They had seemed better, somehow more…innocent. He had been free to exist in a world where he had yet to learn of greed or cruelty.

It was in those moments that she had come to him.

The last time they had spoken, he had felt a tremor, danger perhaps, on her end. He had tried to wake her up, tell her to run. The dream had ended, and he had not been able to reach her since.

He hoped that she was alright. He did not think she was dead. He would have felt it if that had happened. Besides, she had always told him she lived on and agro-world far from the galaxy's center.

What could possibly have come to trouble her there?

So, he went back into the dreaming trying to contact her, it had been many months, but, perhaps…this time…

….he would be successful.

He did not know her name. In truth he had never asked. He had just been happy to see her. Standing a head shorter than him, she had changed much in the last few years. Her pale face dusted with freckles, had finally given up the roundness of childhood. Her small frame remained slender, but had grown more curvy. Her long dark hair flowing down past her shoulders framed a lovely face. Those fierce, yet playful blue eyes always shining when he saw her that gentle mouth of hers always ready to break into a smile...

He shook his head.

Careful there, his conscience chided, there is no passion, there is serenity.

Then he thought of how she looked the last time he had seen her, that tight little nightgown, showing off all the right things, or maybe the wrong things if one stuck too closely to the Jedi Code.

Was it wrong to feel attraction? The connection the two of them shared had been forged by the Force, he did not doubt that. He had spent the last few years denying it, but it remained, and always pulled the two of them back together.

If we have no future, why do we keep meeting? Does the Force have some grand plan for us? Does it…?

Around him the Force rippled, breaking him from his musings.

The Padawan opened his eyes, drawn by a disturbance in the Force.

He turned his head, seeing a plume of smoke rising in the distance.

He frowned.

_Trouble?_

He was on his feet in moments, drawn to the source of the ripple. He used the Force to speed him along his way, helping him run far faster than the norm.

Danger, he thought grimly, the Force whispered in his ear, lives at stake.

He would not stand idly by.

He had to hurry.

IOI

He arrived to find a scene of chaos.

A large land crawler lay on its side, its several ton frame slowly sinking into a muddy path.

He heard agitated voices, one male, and one female. He could sense terror, terror and desperation.

Using the Force he leapt over head landing nearby the source of the voices.

He nearly caught a blaster bolt for his trouble.

"Whoa! Hey! Don't shoot! I'm here to help!"

The male Twilek holding the blaster kept it trained on him but did not fire. His eyes were cold as he studied the newcomer, ready to fire to protect himself and his mate.

The female continued to jabber in her native tongue, trying to lift the land crawler back on its wheels single handed. She was shrieking for the male to help her.

It was as that moment, that the Padawan realized why.

Beneath the crawler, pinned by its weight was a small orange skinned figure, she whimpered as she reached out, trying to touch her mother.

The Padawan blanched.

Their child, he realized, she was trapped.

He looked at the male, still holding the blaster on him, but also wanting to get back and help his mate free their child.

"I'm here to help," he repeated, "I'm a Jedi."

Hearing what he was did little to put the Twilek man at ease, not that the Padawan should have been surprised.

The Twi'leks had built their settlement on Tython without Jedi or Republic permission. There mountain home a thorn in the side of the recovering order. Ever since they had come, the Jedi did little to aid them, and the Twi'leks had grown distrustful as a result.

_Is that any reason to deny help,_ his master's voice seemed to say distantly_, are these people any less children of the Force?_

The boy's eyes narrowed.

No, they were not.

He would aid them.

He looked at the crawler, even if he helped the two Twi'leks lift; it was unlikely that they would be able to lift the machine by physical strength alone. The heavy crawler had been too much for the muddy path, too much weight, but at the same time, the mud was the only reason their child still lived, the girl had sank into the ground, pushed down into the mud by the vehicles weight, but it was only a matter of time until the weight shifted enough to crush her.

The young Jedi's hand went to his belt. His newly constructed lightsaber hung there. He might be able to cut the girl free, but…

He shook his head.

No, that would not work either.

He could see the fuel cell, not far from where the girl lay, if he started cutting blindly…

He sighed, and took a step back.

It was to be the hard way then.

He looked at the male, hoping he could at least understand basic.

"I'm going to try and lift it," he said trying to keep his voice calm, "When I do, move quickly, and pull the girl to safety, I'm not sure how long I will be able to hold it."

The Twi'lek lowered his blaster slightly; he looked on the young man before him with doubt. Clearly, he did not think this blonde sixteen year old human was capable of what he saying, if the man understood at all.

The Padawan took a deep breath; he tried to find his center again, the ocean of light.

_Stop stalling;_ his master's voice chided, _stop preparing and just __**lift **__the bloody thing!_

He closed his eyes, and reached out, both with his hand and the Force.

_Do or do not,_ he thought.

_There is no such thing as try._

Again he felt the Force, its warm light washing over him, only this time; instead of just floating on those waters, he tried to direct them.

He could sense the male Twilek, uncertain of what he was trying to do. The male pulled his mate away, she was still shrieking, still trying to save her child.

Do not focus on them now, there is nothing but you and the Force, it surrounds the downed crawler.

Reach out to it; expand it beneath the machine…

…Lift it up.

He imagined the ocean flowing around him, its waters flowing beneath the crawler; he pushed those waves with his mind, his will. More began to flow beneath it.

Slowly, it began to lift.

He was not watching with his eyes. Yet, he could picture the scene perfectly; he could see the light flowing beneath the crawler, raising it up like boat.

The panicked cries of the Twilek female stopped. The Padawan could sense disbelief, even from the male; no more did he seek violence he was staring in wonder.

_What is so wondrous,_ the boy thought, _I've only managed to life the thing a few a few centimeters!_

He poured more energy into it, the Force continued to flow, it was like a river flowing gently out of the mountains, peaceful tranquil. It followed the path he had set.

He sensed no pain from the child, no panic; clearly the weight was no longer crushing her.

"Now," he murmured, hoping the Twilek had heard him.

"Pull the girl out, _**now!"**_

He felt rather than saw the man spring forward, pulling his child to safety. She wrapped her stick like arms around his neck as he pulled her close, murmuring soothing words. The girl cried softly in her father's arms.

For the first time, the Padawan opened his eyes, what he saw…astounded even him.

He had thought he had only raised the crawler enough for the man to pull his child out. That was not what had happened, the crawler floated six feet off the ground, rotating slowly like a planet.

The young man's eyes widened.

Whoa!

In that moment his connection to the Force faltered.

The crawler came down with a heavy boom. It had been floating upright when it did, so it came down hard on its wheels, but that did not stop the four people from being splattered with mud. The father shielded his child, but he, his wife, and the young Jedi found themselves caked in a brown sticky mess.

Silence fell over the valley again.

The Padawans face burned as he looked at the Twi'leks; with the exception of the child they were all filthy.

The little girl giggled.

The boy gave the family a sheepish look.

"Oops," he murmured.

The Twilek mother laughed, and ran forward, embracing him. She was jabbering excitedly in her native tongue. The Father wore a hint of a smile himself; he murmured something to his little girl, who giggled.

The Padawans blush darkened, and not for mere embarrassment.

The great hero all covered in mud.

How dashing!

He looked at the smiling woman, despite the dirt bath; she was overjoyed by what he had done.

He may have been a Jedi Padawan, but he was also a sixteen year old boy.

The Twi'lek female was not unattractive, like most of her kind she had a tendency to wear clothes that more than showed off the fact that she _**was**_ female. He blushed from her attention; he could not help it.

He tried to play cool.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I do not speak your language."

"You do not need to," a soft voice said behind him.

All four people turned to see a fifth standing behind them. He was human slender of build with gray eyes and dark hair graying at the temples, and a bland plain face. He was dressed as simple as he looked. A nerf hide jacket over a black shirt, plain black cap, and pants marked with Corellian Blood stripes.

Had he been seen on the street, most would have thought him a simple traveler, or a spacer between jobs. Then, if they got closer, they might have seen the lightsaber he wore instead of a blaster.

It is then that they would have taken notice.

"I think what you are hearing is 'thank you' that would be fairly clear in any language.

The Padawan bowed his head respectfully.

"Master Jas," he said, "You are back."

Jas Dar Bynn, Jedi Master, and sometimes referred to as the Jedi Rogue, smiled.

"That I am Fenn Shadowstone," he said respectfully, looking at the crawler.

"It seems your time here was not as quiet as I had thought it would be."

The boy, Fenn Shadowstone, blushed.

"No master, he admitted.

"It was not."


	2. Attachment

**Chapter 2: Attachment**

"Did you find Shyra?"

Fenn's question broke the silence of their journey. Jas Dar Bynn had remained quiet since they had left the Twilek family behind.

_He is disappointed in me_, Fenn feared. _Master Jas knew how the council regarded the Twilek settlement. They were not supposed to be here, any aid the Jedi offered just made it harder to get the people to leave._

The boy frowned.

I used my powers to aid people, how can that be wrong. That family had done nothing,

They did not deserve to lose their child in some stupid accident.

"I found Shyra," his master said; if he felt his apprentice's fear he did not show it. Jas Dar Bynn was not the type of Jedi who led his student by the hand constantly. He preferred to let his charge find his own way on his journey, intervening only when the student became so lost that he could not find his own way.

"She is here now, on Tython. I've contacted Master Vey; she will be here to retrieve her soon."

Fenn nodded, he was aware of his master's master of course, he had met Vey Ilo on several occasions. In her own way, she was almost as much of a Jedi maverick as his master was. Yet, she was still a senior Jedi having served the council for several centuries.

Few in the order felt it proper or polite to question a master whose life and skill had spanned longer than most of the current order had been alive.

Jas Dar Bynn smiled at his student.

"Shyra would be pleased to know that you were concerned for her welfare. She is quite fond of you."

Fenn shrugged.

"She is a fellow Padawan," he said dismissively, "My Jedi sister; of course I'm concerned for safety."

His master chuckled.

"What?" Fenn asked a confused look on his face.

"What?"

His master gave him an amused smile.

"You don't really know how to speak to girls, do you Fenn?"

The boy blushed.

"Um…what do you mean master?"

The older Jedi chuckled again.

"Only that Shyra may **not **find your concern for her as a…"Jedi Sister" very comforting.

Master Jas shook his head.

"I think I've been gone too long," he said, "Or perhaps **just** long enough. You are starting to sound like a proper Jedi."

Fenn sniffed, he could not tell if that was meant to be a compliment or a rebuke. Being that it was Master Jas, it was probably both.

Fenn Shadowstone knew how the rest of the order saw his master. They viewed him as unpredictable, perhaps even a Grey Jedi.

Fenn did not see that, when he looked at his master through the Force, he did not see grey.

He saw a light shining down on him.

It was a level of unity with the Force that the young Padawan hoped to emulate one day.

Yes, Master Jas often looked for alternative ways to accomplish his missions, and yes he was not above using unorthodox tactics, but in Fenn's eyes that is exactly what made his master…well…a master.

The well-worn path was not always the only one, or the best.

He was proud to be Master Jas' student, even though he often felt intimidated by the older man.

He was always so sure of himself.

Fenn wished her was like that.

IOI

Master Jas had had an interesting history. Though he and his brother had been given to the order at infancy, Master Jas' training had been anything but traditional. At the age of nine he had been travelling on a ship with his fellows, Fenn did not know all the details, but the ship had suffered some kind of failure and master Jas had been separated from the rest of his fellows. In fact he had been believed lost by the order for almost ten years, what had happened in those years had educated the young boy who would become known as the Rogue Jedi. Fenn knew a few of those stories, but his master was never one to tell everything about himself, he was not one to brag. The order did not even realize he still lived until he showed up at one of their enclave years later with Master Vey Ilo. It was at that time that the illusive master declared she was leaving her self-imposed solitude and rejoining the order proper, that, and to inform the council that she had taken Jas Dar Bynn as her Padawan Learner.

It had been an odd beginning to a life in the Jedi Order to be sure.

There had been those that questioned his returned, wondered if he should not have been sent to the agro-corps after such a long time. Master Jas had had to prove his worthiness over and over again. When the Sith returned, he had proven to be both an able warrior and a skilled diplomat, though he truly shined at moving in places where other Jedi could not. The experiences of his youth had gifted him with the skill of infiltration.

He had made good use of that skill during the war.

He had been among the Jedi sent to peace talks on Alderaan. He had been there with the rest of the Jedi delegation when the Sith had launched their surprise attack on Coruscant and the Jedi Temple. Fenn, only ten years old at the time, and living in the temple, at been forced to flee into the lower levels to escape the Sith who had come to kill every Jedi in the temple. He had gathered a few of his classmates and they had fled into the lower levels with what few younglings they could muster.

For almost a week they hid in the lower levels, when they emerged the whole galaxy had changed. The treaty of Coruscant had been signed, and the Sith Empire had seemingly been rewarded for their cowardly sneak attack, for their treachery.

Even today, over five years later, Fenn's blood still boiled at that.

He and his friends had been heralded as heroes when they finally emerged from hiding; they had saved not only their own lives, but the lives of twenty two younglings.

The master's had been most impressed.

The so called, "Padawan Pack" had been minor celebrities, a single victory in the face of a crushing and embarrassing defeat.

Fenn had not felt like a hero, and neither had any of the others.

They had survived, nothing more.

There were five of them in the pack, of those five; two had decided to leave the order, not feeling worthy of the praise that way being heaped upon them. The three that had chosen to remain were now all being training by proper masters now. Though they had not seen each other in almost six years, the order had scattered them.

Fenn had never really understood why.

After Coruscant, Fenn had drifted for a time. Despite the praise he had gotten for surviving Darth Malgus' sack of the temple, he remained distant, he felt angry, both at the Sith and at himself and the order. The masters did their best to help him, but no matter what they did, that anger still remained.

Anger was the path to the dark side, everyone knew that. Fenn knew that, but no matter what he did, no matter what the master's said, the anger remained.

For a time it was feared that he was no longer stable enough to continue this training. Several senior masters offered to take him in, to dedicate themselves to freeing him of that anger. Fenn Shadowstone had not responded well to their instruction. It was not until Jas Dar Bynn offered his aid that Fenn saw a light in the darkness. What he said, the lessons he offered were so different than the other masters.

The other masters had meant well, but their lessons spoke of the fact that they did not understand what he was going through, it felt…condescending, that despite their insistence that they wished to help, it still felt like they still saw themselves as better than he. They wished him to just let go of his anger, forget what happened, and embrace the code.

Master Jas had not done that. He spoke with Fenn, helped him acknowledge what he was feeling. He taught him not to run from his anger, not to bury it, but to **face** it. Some of the trials he had put his student through could have been called extremely unorthodox, yet they still served their purpose. He forced Fenn to face his dark emotions and gave him the choice to either embrace them or move past them, to use what he had learned to grow beyond his darker impulses.

Fenn had chosen to move past them, in doing so, found a peace that he feared he had lost forever.

He would always be grateful to Master Jas for that, always…

..Because of his master…he had a chance to truly become a Jedi.

Several of the masters had questioned Master Jas' methods, but they could not argue with the results. Fenn still felt anger for what had happened, but it did not hold sway over him. He could hear the darkness whispering when he felt anger, but, through Master Jas' training, he recognized that there was a better way, a way to honor those that had fallen and not become as dark as the things that had destroyed the temple, destroyed it and tainted his childhood and his innocence.

Master Jas had taught him to cope, and Fenn would always be grateful for that.

Master Jas Dar Bynn had saved him.

Fenn Shadowstone would always be grateful for that.

IOI

They continued their journey back to the temple, Fenn walking at his master's side. The harsh beauty of Tython held them in its warm embrace.

It was at that moment, surrounded by peace of this world that Master Jas decided to speak again.

As always he asked his apprentice a question.

"Tell me, Fenn," he began, "What brought you out this far?"

The boy shrugged.

"Master Satele was looking for volunteers to help clear the old meditation grounds," he said, "I wanted to help."

"So I've heard," his master said, "But I know that the other Padawans and students returned hours ago. What motivated you to stay out there after the others left? You do know that this world is not entirely secured yet."

"I know."

"Then why did you choose to remain behind?"

Fenn frowned slightly.

He could have lied, told his master that he felt a disturbance in the Force; that he sensed that he would be needed, and had been when the Twilek family's crawler had overturned.

He could have lied, but he did not.

He had never lied to his master.

He was not about to start now.

"I was meditating," he confessed, "I felt the power of the place. I thought that it could help boost my abilities, so that I…so that I could reach…"

"Ah," Fenn said nodding.

"This is about the girl you told me about, the dark haired one that you have dreamed about since you were a child?"

Fenn nodded, hoping that his blush was not so bad that his master would notice.

Fenn had first mentioned the girl to his master early in their relationship. He had been confused by his connection to her, and still was to a degree.

What Fenn knew of the Jedi Code, of forming attachments, seemed in contradiction to what he had felt for his dream friend. If attachment was so dangerous, why had the Force allowed it to form in the first place?

_If it was so wrong, why did it seem so right?_

He had never found a satisfactory answer.

Another master might have told him to put aside that connection, to focus on breaking it. They might have even offered to help sever the link he had with the girl.

Master Jas was not like that.

"The connection you feel exists for a reason," his master had said, "The Force formed it, so it is not for us mere mortals to try and sever it.

The older man had smiled then.

"Clearly this girl has a part to play in your destiny, for good or ill. You will likely meet one day, nothing I, or anyone else in the order, can say will stop that. All I can do is try to prepare you for the choice that you will need to make when that day comes."

"What choice?" Fenn had asked.

"The right one, my young Padawan," his master had answered, "both for yourself, and the galaxy."

Fenn had swallowed hard then.

No pressure there, he thought.

No pressure.

"Were you able to contact her?" his master asked, drawing him back to the now.

"No," Fenn confessed, "It…it is as if something is…**blocking** our connection. I can't sense her."

"Could she have been killed?" his master asked.

Briefly Fenn felt a sense of fury at the question.

How could his master ask such a thing?! How?!

As quickly as that anger came, if faded again, held in check by his training and will.

Fenn sighed.

"I don't think so," he said, "I would have felt the loss if she was dead, at least I think I would."

Master Jas nodded.

"A good answer," he said, smiling at his young student.

Fenn blinked.

"Why?"

"Never start thinking that your abilities make you infallible," Master Jas informed him, "Too many of our order are so sure of themselves, too confident in their abilities. Such pride can lead to arrogance, and arrogance can be trouble."

Fenn nodded. Though once again, he was confused.

"You question yourself master?"

Jas Dar Bynn laughed.

"All the time, my boy," he admitted.

"It does not seem like it."

Master Jas shook his head, his amusement rippling through the Force.

"I think that is part of the being a master, Fenn. People don't want to see that we worry, they think we have all the answers and sometimes that makes them unable to see our own fears."

His master shrugged.

"I'm sure that is reassuring to those we protect."

"Power can be an illusion sometimes," Fenn said.

'Sometimes that illusion can prevent a problem as well as a lightsaber, apprentice. The appearance of strength is sometimes as powerful as actual strength. That is another skill you are going to have learn to use one day."

"With your training, I will," he said.

"Careful Fenn," his master warned, "You are going to give me a swelled head."

The boy smirked.

That was unlikely, he thought.

His master was one of the most grounded men he knew.

He did not seem the type to surrender to arrogance.

"Speaking of strength," his master said, "that was an impressive display of power, what you did with the Twi'leks' land crawler."

"It is what needed to be done," Fenn shrugged, "I know the council does not want us aiding the Twilek settlers, but I couldn't just stand by and watch an innocent child die."

"I would like to say that no Jedi would," his master said.

Fenn picked up on something then, a tremor from his master, a sense of something…

"You are not so sure about that are you?" he asked.

Jas Dar Bynn frowned.

"I've seen things in my travels of late that suggest that not all of us have the same interests at heart. The war with the Sith has changed us, the order as a whole has been…tainted…perhaps."

The older man shook his head.

"Suffice to say, I have some questions for the council. I'm hoping that they will put my mind at ease.

Fenn said nothing, but he knew a little about what his master was worried about, at least, he thought he did.

Since the temple had been sacked, there had been many Jedi that had preached the need to go on the offensive against the Sith threat. They sought to match the power of the light against the power of the dark side. The more moderate members of the order questioned such ideas. The light withered in face of aggression, and those Jedi that believed their righteousness protected them from ambition and the desire for revenge were walking a fool's path, or so Fenn thought.

He had felt similar desires when he had first become Master Jas's Padawan, he had been able to work through those feelings, but it had been a tough journey.

He feared for others who were as lost as he was. He worried…

Both master and apprentice stopped.

They both sensed it before they saw it, a plume of dust on the horizon, and the distant whine of a speeder's engine.

Master Jas sighed.

"Prepare to be talked down to, my young Padawan." He said.

Fenn winced.

He should have guessed.

There was one Jedi in the order who always seemed to find Jas Dar Bynn. He was the one that was most vocal in his condemnation of the rogue Jedi's methods, even though his own record was not as clean as he tried to make it, but then again, what else was to be expected of a Jedi that chose to spend his time in the company of politicians.

Fenn shook his head.

He could sense it, the feeling of entitlement, and the confidence that often only just bordered on arrogance. He could see the man's face perfectly in his mind's eye. They had met several times.

It was a face no so different from his master's the differences were both subtle and as clear night and day.

Master Jas's return to Tython had not gone unnoticed; a fellow master was coming to speak with him, to speak with both of them.

Master Jas tried to smile, despite the history between them, or maybe simply out of the connection of their blood.

The connection of family…two halves of single whole they had been once, and just like that, he was there, his speeder humming loudly as it approached.

Jedi Master Sy Dar Bynn.

His master's twin brother.

Fenn pursed his lips.

May the Force give us strength he thought.

If they were to face Master Sy…they would need it...

…That…and more.


	3. Master Sy

**Chapter 3: Master Sy**

The speeder that approached was no mere vehicle, it was a top of the line model that moved almost silently and shined like a newly minted credit chit.

Unsurprising, Fenn thought, given Master Sy's connection to the Senate, For years now he had been the Jedi liaison to the Republic government, with that posting came certain…expectations, he was never caught using anything but the best. It was expected of him. The speeder was likely reserved for dignitaries visiting Tython, not the type of thing used by the council or the bulk of the Jedi that now called Tython home.

For Master Sy Dar Bynn the use of such a vehicle would have been second nature, all part of his position within the order.

It was…simply the way he was.

Master and Padawan stood where they were while the speeder approached. Master Jas smiled, but kept his emotions guarded. Despite being twins, and _identical _twins at that, the Dar Bynn brothers were as different as night and day. While Master Jas was often criticized for his methods, Master Sy was _praised_ for his, his work with the Senate, and his actions over the last few decades had made him the poster boy for the Jedi Order, to most…he was what most Jedi should have aspired to be.

Most Jedi, Fenn thought, but not me.

He could not put his finger on it, but in his way, Master Sy was almost…too good. He knew that that was silly, but he could not shake that feeling, or how he felt in the master's presence.

He had come to think that Master Sy had become…too cozy with the politicians, too open to their suggestions. It was one thing to speak for the order at a political function, but, over the years, the Senate had turned to Sy Dar Bynn more and more when they wanted to the get the order involved in this matter or that crisis.

It was a slippery slope. Fenn thought, though the Jedi had always prided themselves on being the guardians of the peace, they also strived to maintain their autonomy in their dealings with the Senate. It was a Jedi's place to advise, but at the same time not to get dragged into Republic politics. In the past, when the Senate had chosen to take actions on certain matters that went against the Jedi code, and the council rejected getting involved. Master Sy had been there, drumming up Jedi support to go beyond the council's mandate, or at the least bring in enough of their fellow Jedi in to make the council reconsider their stance.

Master Sy knew how to make allies, as a former Padawan of the legendary Master Brandol Venari; he had learned early on how to form alliances. Master Venari, a member of the Jedi council for decades, had been greatly respected, and with that respect had come many allies. Sy Dar Bynn was not afraid to make use of those connections, and the number of allies he had cultivated had grown since the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant. Whenever a motion came up trying to…strengthen the Republic and weaken Sith interests, Master Sy was never far away. There were those in the Senate that would have preferred a more aggressive approach when dealing with the Sith, an approach that would have been easier to carry out with open Jedi support.

Master Sy was always there to listen to those senators and representatives.

The sad thing was Fenn did not even blame them, having lived through the sacking himself, he understood where that anger came from. He felt it himself.

He would be lying if he said there hadn't been a time that he would have supported the Senate in those endeavors.

Master Sy had been in the temple when it fell, he knew what had happened.

Fenn was still not sure what that meant, if the other man had had a say in the negotiation of the Treaty.

If he had…what that truly meant, Fenn was not sure.

One thing was for sure, the master was a survivor.

Master Sy had been one of the first to both greet and praise the Padawan pack when they had emerged from the lower levels, to honor them for their survival... He had been the one that had been the quickest to declare them all heroes for what they had done, not just for escaping the Sith, but in saving so many younglings as well.

He did not understand, none of them had, though to be honest, Fenn had not really understood either. The experience had changed them all, they had emerged changed, when they had stepped out of the darkness and back into a world they no longer recognized, the members of the Padawan pack had been different.

Fenn had resented the attention that masters like Sy Dar Bynn had heaped on them. They had not gone down into the darkness to be heroes; they had simply just wanted to survive.

It was easy to resent those that did not understand what the Padawan pack had faced, what they had seen. Perhaps that was why Fenn had rejected Master Sy's offer to become his Padawan, and why he had accepted Master Jas'.

Master Jas had experience what it was like outside the temple and the cushy environment of the Senate. Sy had not. His work had always kept him close to Coruscant, and the whirl and trappings of a political life.

It was quite easy to resent the other master for things that he did not truly understand.

It was not master Sy's fault, it was merely the way he was, the way he had been taught to see the world. Fenn doubted that the man had spent any time down in the capital's lower levels. A life of travelling among Senators and Chancellors did not prepare you for the shadows down below.

The anger that he had felt after emerging from that darkness had been stifling, if not for Master Jas and his teachings…

Fenn was not sure where he would be today?

The speeder pulled up alongside them in a cloud of dust. Master Jas had bowed slightly when it finally came to a stop, when he finally got a good look at the two Jedi inside the vehicle.

Fenn smiled to, Master Sy was not alone.

It had been a long time since Fenn had gotten to see one of his old friends.

"XEN," he called out grinning.

"It has been too long!"

The young girl leapt out of the passenger seat of the speeder. Tall and pretty, Xen Loor looked every bit the Jedi Padawan that she was. Her tan robes and cream colored tunic stood out brightly in the Tython wilderness. Her large eyes were cool and clear, her long brown hair pulled up in a tight bun. She did not smile at her old friend, but she did bow.

"Fenn," she said coolly, "It is good to see you again."

Her response surprised the young Padawan, or rather what he was sensing from her surprised him. He sensed almost no emotion from the girl. She had always been skilled, and dedicated, but this went beyond simple Jedi control. As he reached out to his old friend with the Force he felt his probe met by a cold impenetrable wall. Xen had been a passionate girl, when they had met, fleeing into the lower levels, she had cared for the younglings in their charge, and the friends that helped them lead the children to safety. Now…it was like touching a droid with the Force.

Xen?

He blinked.

What was going on?

Master Sy joined her a few moments later, clad in fine blue robes with gold piping, Master Sy stood out among his fellow Jedi, especially here on Tython.

Xen took her place to his right, two steps behind her master, her face cold and unreadable.

Master Sy gave his brother and Fenn a well-practiced smile. It was the kind of smile that a career politician might use. It was a smile that never touched his eyes.

"Jas," he said warmly, "brother, I had heard that you had finally decided to join us here on Tython."

He bowed respectfully.

"It is so nice that you finally decided to grace us with your presence."

If Master Jas took offense to his brother's words, he did not show it. He simply smiled at let the comment go unanswered.

"Hello Sy," Master Jas said bowing again, "It has been a while hasn't it?"

"So it has," he agreed, the look on his face dismissive.

He turned to Fenn and smiled. The Padawan could feel the master's eyes on him, or rather the dried mud on his tunic and trousers. Not to mention his own master's thread-bare trousers and jacket. A far different sight then what the cultured Sy Dar Bynn was used to. Compared to them, Master Sy and Xen were spotless examples of the Jedi Order that no dirt or grime would dare intrude on their persons.

If his master's brother thought less of them he did not show it.

He continued to smile.

"Fenn, hello lad, how have you been?"

"Quite well, master," he replied, trying not to focus on the past. Despite his personal feelings, Sy Dar Bynn was a Master of the Jedi Order.

As a Padawan, Fenn was required to treat the man with respect.

"You both remember Xen don't you," Sy continued, gesturing to the girl at his side, "She has been my learner for a few years now."

Fenn nodded.

Perhaps the man had not heard when he had addressed his old friend?

Oh well.

Of course he remembered Xen?

How could he forget?

Like him, Xen Loor was a member of the Padawan Pack. She was a few years older than him, and had done much to help protect their young charges when they fled the temple.

It had not been an easy time for her, for any of them. She had been the strong one, the one who had kept them going early on.

Which was the reason why what he was sensing in her was so troubling?

"How are you doing Xen," he asked, "It…it has been a long time since Coruscant."

If she heard him mention Coruscant she did not show it. In fact she ignored him entirely.

"Master Sy is a great mentor," Xen said respectfully, "I'm learning a lot of from him."

"I'm pleased to hear that your training is progressing so well," Jas said with a slight nod.

He turned to his brother.

"I'm surprised to see you out this far, brother. You were never one to journey out into the wilderness."

Sy chuckled; once again there was little feeling in it.

It was the practiced response of a politician.

"Once Tython was the seat of our order Jas," he reminded his twin, perhaps it will be so once again."

He radiated a sense of pleasure.

"I've just returned myself. I've spent a lot of time recently talking with the committee of planetary affairs. They seem confident of their ability to provide us with the latest defensive technology. Through my efforts they have come to understand the value of Tython, not just to the order, but to the Republic as a whole."

"I'm certain," Jas agreed, "It is important to all that Tython does not share the fate of Coruscant during the war."

Fenn's master smirked.

"I do hope you did not mention the exact coordinates of Tython to the members of the committee. The Sith Empire has not abandoned its intelligence gathering. We would not want the entire Imperial war machine catching us off guard."

Sy snorted dismissively.

"I'm no fool brother, I'm well aware of the council's decision to keep the exact location of this world secret."

Sy grinned.

"Besides, I don't think we really need concern ourselves too much with Sith intelligence. A friend of mine in Republic intelligence suggests that Empire has been having problems of late. The dark lords are squabbling like spoiled children."

Sy grinned brightly, his first real grin.

"Who knows brother, maybe the galaxy will get lucky and the Sith will annihilate each other."

It was at that moment that Fenn felt something from his master, a slight tremor in the Force…perhaps.

Jas Dar Bynn frowned.

"And who told you this story?" he asked.

For the first time the smile on Master Sy's face faltered.

"An ally," he said, "A friend to the Republic."

"I see," Master Jas said.

He sighed heavily.

"I heard something similar during my recent travels," he admitted, "Only the tales I've heard suggest that the Republic SIS is might be carrying out clandestine operations within the Empire. Operations in clear violation of the treaty we have with the Empire."

"Really," his brother said, "and where did you hear this tale, Jas?"

"It was during a recent visit to the Wreck. I encountered a young Sith there, an apprentice to one of the Darth's. This Sith seemed convinced that the Republic was trying to manipulate her people, and that they were getting help from within the Jedi Order."

"Sith are all liars," Xen said quickly.

Fenn blinked.

Too quickly?

"My Padawan is not wrong, brother," Master Sy shrugged, "It is more likely that this Sith girl was trying to manipulate you. She might even have sought to drive a wedge between the Republic and the Jedi."

Sy smiled again.

"I'm sure the Sith would welcome such an outcome."

"I don't doubt it," Master Jas agreed, "But at the same time, I think this matter should be brought before the council."

"Why?" Xen asked.

Her question drew all their attention, the air between the four of them suddenly felt very claustrophobic.

It was Fenn that decided to break that tension.

"Isn't such a thing best left to the master's on the council," he said, "I can't imagine that Master Satele would approve."

Xen frowned.

"Would it be so bad if the Sith were under attack? Would it not be better for everyone if their whole evil Empire collapsed in on itself?"

She pinned her old friend with a cold gaze.

"You remember what it was like after the temple fell. You were there, we both were. So many people died, so many friends and teachers…"

Xen's fingers curled into fists.

"The Sith deserve what they get! They…"

"Padawan!"

Xen fell silent; her master was giving her an icy glare.

"You need to learn to move past this," he said, what happened on Coruscant cannot be changed. You need to let go of that, embrace your duty. The light can give you the release that your soul craves."

Fenn frowned.

He did not entirely agree.

What they had faced, what he and Xen had faced, was not so easily to simply move past. He had only found his peace by facing it. The council may not have agreed with his master's methods, but they had worked. Fenn Shadowstone had found his center again.

Looking at Xen, what he was sensing in the Force.

He feared that she had not.

"You should not waste the council's time with this brother," Sy Dar Bynn said, "We have enough to concern ourselves with, the rebuilding of our order. Why should we want to risk dissension now?"

"Better a little dissension now then a full blown revolution later," Jas responded.

Sy smirked at him.

"I think you are making too much of this."

I don't," Jas said, " I was in the field during the bulk of the war, I watched as we engaged the Sith, and more importantly, I watched more than a few fellow Jedi fall to the dark side during that time, their anger and aggression drove into the enemy camp."

Jas sighed again.

"We use the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack, that is the way of the order. If Jedi are actively working to destabilize the Empire, then they are opening themselves up to the dark side. All it would take would be one Jedi involved to fall and join the Sith. If the Empire had conclusive proof that they were being attacked, they would have all the excuse they would need to renew the war."

Jas met his brother's haughty gaze with a cold one of his own.

"The Republic is not yet ready to meet the Sith in battle again. We need time to rebuild."

There was a brief pause, something unsaid past between the two brothers, and then…Sy Dar Bynn laughed.

"We will have that time, brother. No one is violating the treaty, when the time comes the Republic will be ready to meet the Sith threat, no matter what state it is in by then."

Sy smiled proudly.

"Do not trouble the council with this brother. Doing so would only play into the Sith's hands."

He gestured to his apprentice.

"Come, Xen," he said, "I have matters to discuss with Master Orgus."

Xen Loor did not even bother to say goodbye to her old friend, instead she glared at Fenn and his master. Through the Force Fenn could only sense anger and betrayal.

He frowned.

Just who did Xen think that they had betrayed?

"Xen come," SY DAR Bynn insisted.

The girl turned without another word, she leapt into the driver seat of the speeder. She gunned the engine and spun it around with a practiced hand.

The vehicle shot off in a cloud of dust, leaving Fenn and Jas Dar Bynn to watch it go.

Fenn glanced over at his master. His expression was thoughtful. Jas Dar Bynn scratched his chin, staring off in the direction that the speeder had gone.

"Master?" Fenn asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you believe her, this Sith; the one you talked to? Do you think that Jedi are attacking the Empire?"

"I'm not sure, Fenn," he said, "One thing is for sure, I'm definitely telling the council."

Fenn nodded.

The high council was the wisest of the order; surely they could get to the bottom of this. Surely, this was all some kind of Sith deception, because if it was not…

Fenn did not like to think what that might mean.

It was unlikely that the order could face the Sith right now, and if a group of troublemakers provoked another war now…

He shook his head.

"Master," he said.

"Yes, Padawan." Master Jas said.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

He had hoped that his master would offer him some reassurance. That he would say that they would be able to deal with the matter swiftly, that he had nothing to worry about.

Master Jas did not do that.

"So do I, Fenn," he confessed.

So do I."


End file.
